History of The elm tree inn
THE ELM TREE INN
The Elm Tree Inn in Langton Herring, Dorset, has served the villagers, and the wider community, since the 18th Century. During that time The Elm Tree has been, in synergy with the local church and village hall , providing a community hub. Initially, the inn was lit by candles and amidst the flicker of flames stories were told of the current state of the crops and animals, what contraband was currently available, how the herrings were running and of course all sorts of comments about who was doing what in the village.
Langton Herring is set in the countryside behind the Fleet Lagoon and Chesil Beach, the location of the film of Ian McEwan's novel of the same name.
The Elm Tree Inn is situated in the village of Langton Herring on the south west coast in Dorset.
It can be found in Shop Lane, Langton Herring, DT3 4HU.
Ghosts, Bombs, Smugglers and SPies
Ghosts and Smugglers
There is a tale of a lynching when a man was strung up from a beam in the old bar. The victim was a fisherman in the 1780s who lied about his catch – and his ghost is said to appear, particularly when there is a Sou’westerly blowing occasionally! But wait, there is also a tale of a bricked-up hole in the old bar which leads to a secret passage to the village church, which is said to be either a smuggler’s escape tunnel or a hiding place for contraband.
Bombs, Two World Wars and Spies
The Elm Tree Inn hosted Barnes Wallis during the Second World War during interludes between tests of the fledgling “bouncing bomb” in the Fleet. It is rumoured that Winston Churchill also visited The Elm Tree. The secrecy of their visits would have been guaranteed as a national priority. Yet perhaps greater scrutiny ought to have been paid to the visits of Harry Houghton and Ethel Gee! These two Cold War spies used the Elm Tree as a useful location to exchange information about the Portland naval base.
Knickers
When the village fete committee decided to budget in 2009 for the summer gathering because of the recession, few in the community realised how far they’d go.
Keen to keep costs down, the committee has ditched the bunting this year and will be lining the streets of Langton Herring with... pairs of pants.
What started as a joke at a meeting has turned into reality with assorted piles of underwear strung up on string to decorate the village in the run-up to the fete on Saturday. This made the national news.
Our History
The Friends of the Elm Tree was founded in April 2024 with sole mission of bringing The Elm Tree Inn into community ownership.
WALKING, CYCLING, AND BIRDWATCHING AROUND LANGTON HERRING
Walking
More recently, visitors have been attracted to our village to walk along the South West Coastal Path using The Elm Tree Inn as a welcome break and a chance to chat with local villagers.
Cycling
Many cyclists pass through Langton Herring and will stop for a snack, lunch or even a pint. We will be offering a meeting point for groups walkers and cyclists
Birdwatching
The Elm Tree Inn has also welcomed bird watchers who have been privileged to see so many migratory water birds on the Fleet.